Westerberg’s voice, still scuffed, still broken, still can take your breath away with a life’s worth of stunning self-knowledge: "Every time I didn't follow my dreams, I lost the map / I live my fantasy instead / Till I found it was a trap / Gave a life, got a living / Hey, that’s all right / All is forgiven” (“All That I Had”).

Reveille: When did you first see The Replacements live?
Walsh: July 2, 1980. Their first gig at the Longhorn, opening for the Dads (note that The Dads included future HOF Kevin Bowe). I went down with my band after practice. Our drummer, Rick, was 15; our guitarist, Kevin, was 16. They were awesome. Did a fast version of "Johnny’s Gonna Die" and covers by 999 and the Heartbreakers (Johnny Thunders, not Tom Petty). They were amazing. Danced on the floor with my friend Cecelia, with a few other kids.

Reveille: What was it about their live shows and music that set them apart from other local bands?
Walsh: Spontaneity. Spirit. In the book, Lori Barbero and Marc Perlman say it very well. Lori talks about hanging out in the Stinson basement, watching practice, wondering what was going to happen next. The first time Perlman saw them, they did "Hello Dolly" seven or eight times, driving many out of the room. He realized, "they were more than a band. They were a gang."

Reveille: Do you think the remaining members of The Replacements will play live together ever again?
Walsh: Yes.

Westerberg, Minnesota's most reclusive rock star, understands all the reunion hoopla. His Replacements have been on fans' reunion wish list for years. There are two reasons bands reconvene, he said. "1. They miss each other; 2. They need money. Or it could be 2-1 backwards."

(Westerberg) performed with Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson for last year's premiere of the film "Open Season," which featured Westerberg songs. "It didn't feel incredibly special or anything," he said. "It was like: 'Oh, it's Tommy. Of course.' I've played with him enough in the studio since we performed as the Replacements that it's not really a big deal. And I don't think I'd want to drag the [Replacements] name out just for the money."

"I'm one-third of the way to being possibly 80 percent all better," he said the other day. Translation: Doctors say he will regain 80 percent use of his hand, but recovery will take 18 months. He's about six months into the process.

As for his left hand, he suffered nerve damage in the webbed area between the ring and pinkie fingers. "It still feels like I've got 12 pins in it. It feels like I have something in my hand and I want to put it down and I realize it's my finger," he said. "I cut an artery and severed 12 nerves. Half of the ring finger is numb and the other half is tingling like it's growing back the nerves. It's just another guitar player's injury. I used to have swelling in the elbows from playing guitar."

As for his recording career, the singer-songwriter recently sent 60 songs to his manager to try to figure out what to do with them. He said he's had offers from Universal and Sony to start his own label, but he's not interested. "I'm busy learning how to play guitar," he concluded. "It's like I'm 15 again. It's attached to my hip. I'm playing cleaner and my rhythm is better because I can't do as much with my left hand."